Kitchen queries (appliances and worktops)

[Mombie]

We are getting our kitchen done soon have just been to DIY kitchens showroom. I noticed that some of the doors felt heavy on the integrated fridge and that they could drop and become misaligned in the future. Does anybody with an integrated fridge know if your hinges are sliding or fixing or have you had both? Which would you recommend? I feel like there will be less droopage if the load bearing points are spread across sliding hinge type doors.

Also real wood worktops, head says no but my heart says yes. Are they really a massive pain in the arse? I’m all about the rustic look so not to fussed if it ages nicely like it’s wrinkly owner.

Finally, does anybody opted for a microwave in cupboard/ larder instead of an integrated one. The integrated ones look dangerously high up and I don’t know if I can justify paying so much money when the only thing I have ever done is press 1 minute over and over again. However, don’t want my microwave on the counter.

Any advice much appreciated.

Wooden worktops don't age nicely, they go black if they get too wet.

Wooden worktops go mouldy round the sink unless you are a very careful person. I wish we'd put a bit of wooden countertop in though as putting stuff on quartz is very clinky and on the breakfast bar bit I'd have liked some wood/not all wood.

We got a combi microwave at eye height. I like having it as a second oven but there's a bit of me wishes we still had a microwave where I just had to push 1 minute and it started - rather than having to scroll through a menu first. I might buy one and put it in the utility so DH doesn't roll his eyes at it.

We went with Howdens.

When wooden worktops get wet they go black and mouldy as they start to rot. I’d only put them in areas where there’s no moisture. Not suitable around sinks etc.

Is there a reason your microwave can’t be built in at counter height? Microwaves are dangerous when they’re high up, you could spill a hot dish on your face.

Fridge wise I have sliding hinges on my integrated fridge and it’s been fine. Didn’t know they came with regular hinges?

We had a wood worktop for 8 years with no issues

We did make sure it was treated regularly and we were careful to mop up spills immediately

Unfortunately we moved and dh loves the fact he can put any old crap on the laminate so unfortunately i think won’t be having wood moving forward…might have a wood effect though 😀

OP - integrated fridge freezer, cabinet door has dropped very slightly (literally 1 or 2 mm) but I think maybe down to the fitting - couldn't tell you which hinges we have, sorry.

Don't get a wooden worktop - we were very careful with ours - island top looked pristine 2 or 3 years later, around the sink had gone black even though we wiped any excess water off etc.

Yes to normal microwave in a larder cupboard - just have to have a small gap above in line with instructions and vent properly (i.e. if something steams, leave the cupboard door open etc)

We are having wooden worktops as we had them in our previous house and love the look. We are having our sink on the island and that us going to be part quartz and part wood to avoid having the wood around the sinks as it does get damaged and go black.

How about combined microwave/oven to go in a stack with normal oven. Any good, or too fiddly?

Our integrated fridge freezer has the sliding-type doors. With these, the unit door is supported on the standard hinges from DIY Kitchens and the fridge/freezer door is on its own hinges. It hasn't been in long but I have more confidence in this arrangement than the fixed ones we had in the old kitchen, which were terrible!

What kind of wood worktops are you considering? I've never seen oak tops which didn't have some amount of water damage round the sink, but my in-laws have iroko ones which are fine eight years in. They are pretty careful at wiping up spills but they don't re-oil them all that often - probably once a year, twice at the very most.

We decided we weren't to be trusted with wooden tops and went with Dekton.

Thanks for all of your replies. Looks like I will have to rethink wooden worktops and go for something else.
CasperGutman- That is what I was thinking about the hinges too.

I hadn’t thought of building the microwave in at counter height as all of the ones I have seen seem very high up so this could be an option. Thanks

Wooden worktops are decorative. If someone puts a cup down on it, you move it. Every time. Honestly, don't get wood.

My Microsoft just in the cupboard - it is at that height so that the breadmaker beneath it can just be opened and used in situ. Maybe as I get older I'll lower the microwave.

Oh, and the integrated fridge is on fixed hinges - I refitted the integrated fridge which had been in the existing kitchen for 20 years, hadn't noticed any drop previously or since (been fitted 2 years now).
Also DIY kitchens.

I had iroko wood work tops for 15 years and definitely wasn't precious about. It still looked amazing when we left the house and I'm likely to get it in my new kitchen.
Would never consider oak and definitely not beech as they both seem high maintenance

@Chasingsquirrels

My Microsoft just in the cupboard - it is at that height so that the breadmaker beneath it can just be opened and used in situ. Maybe as I get older I'll lower the microwave.

How wide is that cupboard? Is ventilation/steam an issue at all?

Haha, didn't realise I'd autocorrected microwave to Microsoft!
It's a 600mm width tall larder cupboard so the depth is the same as a standard base unit.
I mostly leave the cupboard door open when the microwave is in use, although the steam only escapes when you open the microwave door anyway - and at that point the cupboard door is obviously open.
I tend to wipe down any excess steam/moisture in the microwave after use - which I've never really done before but now I see it because the interior is more at eye level.
No problems with moisture or ventilation in the cupboard itself though.

@Chasingsquirrels - That is the type of set up imagining with everything tucked away in a tall larder cupboard.

I will also look into iroko wood too so thanks for that.

Another Iroko fan here, our worktop was reclaimed school lab bench (lots of reclamation yards have them), we didn't take all that great care of it over 10 years, but it's still in good enough nick for us to be reusing some of it in our new kitchen. I did get hacked off with mopping up around the sink though so we're having quartz there.

Microwave was around 150cm from the ground in old kitchen, on a bracket but not built in. No problems at all. New one will be around the same height, in a cupboard.

Right so I think I am going with iroko wood, might live to regret this but the heart wants what the heart wants and a microwave in a cupboard with enough space for ventilation.

@Zinnia I love the sound of the school lab worktops- would love to see a pic if you have one!

With my integrated fridge and freezer the load bearing hinges are part of the appliances and the cupboard doors aren't involved in load bearing at all. I expect that any problems would be to do with the quality of the appliances not the kitchen cabinets.

[quote Bloomsburyreader]@Zinnia I love the sound of the school lab worktops- would love to see a pic if you have one![/quote]
This is from when they were first installed 10 years ago! Currently looking a bit forlorn on the building site of our extension, so not very photogenic. If I were getting "new" reclaimed now I wouldn't be quite so sander-happy, but they've stood up well.

We have bamboo worktops. 12 years in and no black marks. We've probably sanded/oiled them 5 times, and certainly not for at least 3 years now. I love the look, and I wouldn't say I behave any differently to how I would with laminate

These are my fridge hinges, not sure if they’re what you call sliding ones - anyway no issues and they’re nearly 3 years old.

The height of your microwave depends on how you design your kitchen - it’s not fixed. I had mine lower than standard as I’m on the short side and had noticed other people standing on tiptoe to peer into theirs. Unfortunately because I chose a microwave combi the door opens outwards rather than side to side, meaning I have to reach over it so it’s still a bit too high, but that was my fault. The microwave cupboard thing would be good depending on where the cupboard is, as I’m presuming you would have the cupboard door open while you’re using it (and any other appliances you’ve got in it) so if you’ve got people trying to get past then that would be a pain, unless you had one of those roll top doors.

Wow @Zinnia, I absolutely love them. Any idea what wood they are?

Thanks @Bloomsburyreader, they're Iroko